Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 10th 2008, 6:44am By Elena Cala Buscarino

As part of their meeting agenda, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) Board of Directors officially authorized a $1,743,000 contract with Western New York-based DEMCO, Inc. for demolition of Memorial Auditorium (Aud). Under the contract, the firm is expected to commence demolition activities by January 2009 and complete work by July 1st, which is in line with the date Ontario Specialty Contracting Inc. (OSC), the original winner of the bid, had targeted. OSC opted out of the demolition deal based on the current poor market price of scrap steel.

“We’re pleased to make it official and allow DEMCO, Inc. to focus on the demolition work at-hand,” said Jordan Levy, chairman, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation. “A shovel-ready Aud block is a key component to the Canal Side project, and things are now back on-track to have the site cleared in the very near future.”

The total contract includes a base fee of $1,646,000, as well as an additional $97,000, to cover the costs of removing various commemorative architectural elements from the exterior of the building. These architectural elements will be used by the City of Buffalo to construct a public memorial to the Aud. A 10% contingency fee of $174,300 was also authorized by the board, to cover any unanticipated change orders that may occur, as a result of additional asbestos discovery or further soil environmental testing needs.

Present at the meeting, Mayor Byron Brown reported that the auction of the blue seats from the Aud exceeded expectations, bringing in nearly $300k. Due to interest in the orange seats still in the Aud, board member Mindy Rich suggested that they might be auctioned prior to removal to offset the $35 per seat removal cost in a no-risk for profit measure. A spokesperson for the ECHDC stated that because the orange seats are at the top of the Aud, where demolition would begin, the decision to remove the seats and auction them would need to be expedient so as not to slow the project down.

Moving on, Levy stated that the search for a new ECHDC president is ongoing and, with the help of a firm to conduct the search, he is hopeful that the position will be filled within 90 days.

Michael Di Virgilio's addition to the Corporation’s Board of Directors was announced at the meeting. Mr. Di Virgilio’s appointment follows a recommendation by Governor David A. Paterson, as well as formal approval from ECHDC’s parent corporation, Empire State Development. As a result, Mr. Di Virgilio will serve as a full-voting board member, filling a vacancy left by former ECHDC director Bill Ransom.

“On behalf of ECHDC, I would like to officially welcome Mike Di Virgilio to the board of directors,” said Jordan Levy. “Mike joins our board at a very exciting time in Buffalo’s waterfront history, and we look forward to tapping his expansive background in organized labor and construction, as we move into the exciting phase of making Canal Side a reality.”

Mr. Di Virgilio’s appointment to the Harbor Corporation’s board of directors follows a long-history of advocacy for local workers and the importance of Building Trades in regional economic development. Currently holding the position of Vice President and Field Representative for the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (Local No. 3) New York since October 2006, Mr. Di Virgilio holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Arts degree in American Studies from SUNY at Buffalo.

“It is an honor to be nominated by Governor Paterson and appointed by Chairman Wilmers to the ECHDC Board,” said Michael Di Virgilio, board member, Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation. “This appointment acknowledges the role of Buffalo Building Trades in the Western New York economy, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help positively shape our region’s future.”

As a final point of interest, Commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, Permit and Inspection Services Brian Reilly spoke about the overall planning of the inner and outer harbors, saying that the city is in support of the ECHDC planning efforts. "We want the inner harbor to be complemented by the surrounding area, without causing a delay in the outer harbor," Reilly said. "We need to knit together the layers of the plan without conflicting either area. We've set up fast-tracking to facilitate the development."

Levy and Reilly agreed that the South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) process would go a long way to setting up a framework for the project. Both Levy and Reilly agreed that the plan would work best with community visioning preceding the planning stages.